Delhi govt plans one-time traffic challan waiver to clear dues, boost revenue

The proposal, drafted by the transport department, will offer up to 60% waiver on challans issued to personal and commercial vehicles in the last 10 years, a 70% waiver for Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) buses, and 80% waiver for all two-wheelers and three-wheelers

Vehicle owners in Delhi could soon get relief from years of unpaid traffic fines, as the government readies a one-time waiver scheme offering up to 80% reduction on challans to clear long-pending dues and improve revenue collection.

The proposal is expected to be approved by the Delhi cabinet on Wednesday. Once cleared, the amnesty scheme will benefit thousands of motorists who have accumulated unpaid fines over the years due to procedural delays, non-service of notices, and pending court appeals. (HT Archive)

Officials said the proposal, drafted by the transport department, will offer up to 60% waiver on challans issued to personal and commercial vehicles in the last 10 years, a 70% waiver for Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) buses, and 80% waiver for all two-wheelers and three-wheelers.

The proposal is expected to be approved by the Delhi cabinet on Wednesday. Once cleared, the amnesty scheme will benefit thousands of motorists who have accumulated unpaid fines over the years due to procedural delays, non-service of notices, and pending court appeals.

According to Delhi traffic police records, nearly 50 million traffic challans have been issued in the past decade. However, only around 2.7% of them have been realised so far, while nearly 97% still pending.

The transport department, which issues its own set of fines, reported that of the 1.7 million challans generated in the past decade, 24.8% have been paid while 75% remain unsettled. The government believes the amnesty drive will help clear a significant portion of the backlog while unlocking non-tax revenue.

“The idea is not just to provide relief to citizens, but also to improve compliance and recover dues that have remained unrealised for years. A transparent, one-time settlement process will help streamline enforcement and ease the burden on courts. Additionally, it will encourage people to clear their pending fines and that will likely increase government revenue as well,” said an official.

If approved, the scheme will likely run for a limited window of 45 to 60 days, during which vehicle owners can settle their pending fines either online, through the Delhi government’s transport portal, or by visiting designated facilitation centres.

The move comes amid growing concern over enforcement fatigue and poor recovery rates following the digitisation of traffic fines and the shift to e-courts. Officials said while automation has improved transparency, it has also triggered a surge in challans, many of which remain contested or unpaid.

“There will be no financial implication to the government and no budget allocation is required in this regard. In fact, there will be an expected increase in revenue collection of the government by the amount realised through the amnesty scheme,” said the official.

The cabinet note also cites the successful implementation of a similar waiver scheme by the Telangana government in 2023.